It Was Always About Christ (Part 1)

Originally planned for this sermon to be on Deuteronomy 30:1-10 however the more I wrote the more I realized that was not a realistic ambition. So, I split it into two sermons, tonight the title is, “It Was Always About Christ (Part 1)”

I will warn you in advance that we are going to be in a lot of places in scripture tonight. Be ready for some page turning.

Jesus said the to the disciples in Matthew 19:28, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Are we to assume that those 12 tribes they are judging are to be made up of only ethnic Jews? Of course not. We have already seen that the people of God are those that have believed God and been counted righteous for the belief. From Able to you and me, God has only accepted faith alone as the means of justification. This is why David says,

“ you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Ps 51:16–17, ESV)

It is as the author of Hebrews said, “... it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (Heb 10:4, ESV) The people of God have always “received their commendation” (Heb 11:2, ESV) by faith. The true Isreal, “the Israel of God” (Gal 6:16, ESV) that Paul refers to in Galatians, has always existed as a subset of a visible group. In the old days the visible group was the nation of Isreal and within that people were the ones that would never bow the knee to anyone but God (1 Kings 19:18, Romans 11:4) Today, that same body of God’s people, God’s elect, exists within the visible church. Therefore, Calvin is correct when he makes direct application of this passage we have to night to the church saying,

“God never so severely afflicts His Church as not to be ready to return to mercy; nay, that by their punishments, however cruel in appearance, the afflicted, who were destroying themselves as if their hearts were bent upon it, are invited to repentance, so as to obtain pardon.’[1]

Lets read Deuteronomy 30:1–6

Deuteronomy 30:1–6 ESV

“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Lets Pray!

Transition

If we are to correctly understand this text tonight we better be able to make direct application, as Calvin has, to those who “obey his voice in all that [he] commands.” Take a look verse 1-2.

Who are the Commandment Keepers? (1)

Text

Deuteronomy 30:1–2 ESV

Exposition

“when all these things come upon you”

Exposition

There is a prophecy in Moses’ words here, “when” not “if” these things come on you.

Its almost like Moses knew how hardhearted the people could be.

Application

The word of God is so consistent here. James said, brothers count it joy when trials come on you. (James 1:2, ESV) Moses tells the people, look, the good and the bad is going to happen. God intends all the bad, for the good of his adopted elect.

Last week we memorized that in the Catechism, that the elect of God get, Justification, adoption, and sanctification.

The 1689 speaks of adoption, in chapter 12 saying, God’s adopted children “are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by Him as by a Father” [1]

“and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you”

Exposition

They were to call the word of God to their mind.

Application

The trials God send us are to drive us to the word. Trails are much better when you have the word in you heart before you get to them.

Illustration

Gabe and I with the car on the hot day and the overheating.

“obey his voice in all that I command you today”

Exposition

There is a condition on the blessings. To obey and keep all the commandments.

Application

Is God’s offer disingenuous here?

Here is my perfect Law if you keep it I will bless you, but oh by the way you can never keep it.

A resounding NO!

There are those that do keep all the commandments. Those that have that commandment keeping imputed to them from the Father, by the son, through the Spirit.

Those that are saved by the trinitarian God are the ones that God is addressing when he is talking about the commandment keepers. We received perfect commandment keeper status in Jesus.

We will see this more later on.

Transition

Since God is the one saving and adopting his people it then follows that he never leaves his people. Take a look at verses 3-4

God Never Leaves His People (2)

Text

Deuteronomy 30:3–4 ESV

then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you.

Exposition

“then the Lord your God will”

Exposition

“Then” when these conditions are met.

As we already saw, the conditions cannot be met by any man but Christ.

To keep all the Law and love the Lord with all your heart is a mark none of us reach save Christ.

Application

They must by imputed to us by God.

If the condition is that you must keep ALL the commandments then the only way for that to happen is Jesus’ federal headship.

“he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you”

Exposition

Three fold repetition of the idea int he text.

God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you

He will gather you again from all the peoples

the Lord your God will gather you

Application

It is Gods work and it is a sure work.

“If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven”

Exposition

How far does God, go for his elect people? The outer most parts of heaven

In other word there is no distance God does not go for his Children.

Application

Get the scene in your head. Moses is standing in front of a large group of people making these statements. There are, just as in Jesus’ day, sons of God in the group and sons of the devil. Remember Jesus said “You are of your father the devil”(Jn 8:44, ESV) when talking to the Jews.

Is God promising to go to the ends of heaven for the sons of the devil? No! That promise is for his adopted Children united to him by faith in his work through Christ. There is no end to his ability to save his Children.

Again a little help understanding this from the author of Hebrews, writes, "Consequently, he [Jesus] is able to save to the uttermost [notice the same word the uttermost parts of heaven are not to far for him to reach who is able to save to the uttermost] those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” “Heb 7:25, ESV)

Transition

Now, if the promises are for the Children, what do we make of the statement “And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it.” Look at verses 5-6.

All Promises Find Their Yes In Him (3)

Text

Deuteronomy 30:5–6 ESV

And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Exposition

“Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it”

Exposition

Certainly the people hearing Moses were thinking about the ground they were about to take in Caanan.

However, that is not the ground promised to God’s adopted children.

Bear with me here,

to explain how this works, we are going to need to go to Galatians 4:22-26, (go ahead and turn to Galatians 4:22-26 now if you went to read along) Hebrews 11:8–10, and to 2 Corinthians 1:20.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” (Ga 4:22–26, ESV).

The Jerusalem above is the promised land to those who are Abraham’s Children by faith.

God ahead and turn to Hebrews 11:8–10 if you want to read a long. Another thing that will help here is asking the question, what land was Abraham looking for? This whole question is all about what Land Abraham’s sons by faith get, so what land did Abraham get?

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. [The author of Hebrews quotes Genesis here] “For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8–10, ESV)

That is the promised land that God brings his sons to so they may possess it. Its not over there on the other side of the Mediterranean sea, its the Jerusalem above.

And how is that land possessed 2 Cor 1:20

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” (2 Cor 1:20, ESV)

Application

When you say, I am not of this world, and you should say that because that’s what Jesus said of you in John 17; when you say that, what do you mean?

Do you mean my citizenship is in the “the Jerusalem above?”

If you answered yes, why would you wish anything else for anyone else. I will leave that eschatological charged question open ended this even and go on to verse 6.

“God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring”

God is the actor in circumcision here and he tells them he circumcises their hearts.

They understand circumcision and a sign of the covenant. It was an outward sign to ID the people of God.

Only those that God has inwardly circumcised are a part of the people of God. Everyone else, everyone not inwardly circumcised, no mater how much they look the part, are not a member of the covenant of grace.

This is the same language and idea we see Paul say in Colossians 2:11. Paul says, speaking to Christian's, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands.’ (Col 2:11, ESV)

The covenant of God administered in that eternal circumcision done by God himself.

“you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul"

Exposition

You “will” love the Lord, not you might or you could.

Not just a little bit, but with “all your heart and with all your soul”

Application

God is working this love in the hearts of His people so it will happen.

It happens in the imputed Righteous of Christ who perfectly loves God in our place.

Conclusion

There are many traditions in modern evangelicalism that might cause you to mishandle or misunderstand this text. To clear those out out the way there is 1 question to ask, do you believe what the scripture says. All the promises of God find their yes in Jesus. It does mater if those promises where written down in the first century AD or if they were written in the 1400s BC, like Deuteronomy was. All the promises, ill say it again to be absolutely clear, ALL the promises of God find their yes in Jesus.

Benediction

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. (Revelation 1:4–5, ESV)

Go in peace or Stay and Fellowship, both are good.

References

[1] John Calvin and Charles William Bingham, Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony, vol. 3 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 282.

[2] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2484.

Bibliography

Calvin, John, and Charles William Bingham. Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.

Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015.

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